Actuator for an ignition device

ABSTRACT

An electromagnetic ignition device for fuel fluids and the like, includes circuit means which is mechanically actuatable for producing an electric spark. A plurality of mechanical actuating means are provided each of which is operatively associated with the circuit means and individually operable for effecting actuation thereof.

United States Patent Inventor Helmut Pietzouka [56] Refe n Cited which '1 Mai", Germ"! UNITED STATES PATENTS P 790329 2,238,892 3/1937 Fanger 317/92 x Filed Jan. 10, 1969 3,246,207 4/1966 Remy 431/255 paemed 1971 3 369 157 2 1968 R 317 81X Assignee Braun Aktiengesellschalt emy l 3,424,950 1/1969 Halm 317/93 Frankfurt am Mam, Germany Priority .Ian. 18, 1968 3,444,435 5/1969 Halrn 317/81 Germany 3,458,765 7/1969 Schmdler 317/81 P 17 29 889.4 Primary Examiner-VelodymyrY. Mayewsky AttorneyMichael S. Striker ACTUATOR FOR AN IGNITION DEVICE 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 310/36,

317/81, 431/255 ABSTRACT: An electromagnetic ignition device for fuel Int. Cl H02k 35/00, fluids and the like, includes circuit means which is mechani- HOlt 13/42 cally actuatable for producing an electric spark. A plurality of Field of Search 317/81, 96, mechanical actuating means are provided each of which is 92, 379; 431/255; 310/26, 103-104, 36; operatively associated with the circuit means and individually 200/21-2, 30-1 operable for effecting actuation thereof.

7 4 j 11 1| 0 I 1 a 3 4 4 7 1iK///////////// ///A ACTUATOR FOR AN IGNITION DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the actuation of 5 ignition devices, and more particularly to mechanical actuation of electromechanical ignition devices.

Electromechanical ignition devices are used in many applications, and by way of example reference is made totheir employment in conjunction with gas burners in gas furnaces, kitchen ranges and the like where they are used to ignite fuel issuing from the respective burner. Such applications for devices of the type under discussion are quite widespread now and the devices are usually manufactured as complete units which are provided with housings and actuating means adapted to the respective circumstance of use. In other words, one type of actuating means may be necessary if the device is to be employed with a kitchen range where the ignition of the fuel issuing from the burner or burners is possible in close proximity with the burners, that is where the operator can closely approach the range, and another type of actuating means, for instance a remote actuating means, may be desirable or necessary for use with gas furnaces, for instance to avoid the necessity to negotiate basement stairs if the furnace is installed in the basement of a house. These examples are of course given only by way of explanation, and are in no way intended to be limiting.

It will be seen, however, from the aforementioned samples that the necessity to manufacture and keep in stock a variety of different units provided with different types of actuating means necessarily makes these ignition devices rather expensive. This problem is aggravated by the fact that the proliferation of different types resulting from the different applications makes it impossible" to produce large quantities'of any one type and denies the manufacturer the advantages of large-series production. 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages.

A more particular object of the present invention is to provide such an ignition device of the type under discussion which can be used in a variety of different applications without requiring special construction and/or adaptation.

Still more particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide an ignition device of the type under discussion which has a plurality of mechanical actuating means each of which is individually operable for effecting actuation of the device.

In pursuance of the above objects, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of an electromagnetic ignition device for fuel fluids and the like which comprises circuit means mechanically actuatable for producing an electric spark, and a plurality of mechanical actuating means each operatively as sociated with the circuit means and each individually operable for effecting actuation of the circuit means.

It is particularly advantageous if the individual mechanical actuating means are of different types and operate in different manner.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic section of an ignition device according to the present invention, taken on the line H of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the ignition device shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the device shown in FIGS. I and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail it will be seen that l have illustrated a make-and-break type of electromagnetic ignition system, including a yoke l, a coil 2, a magnet 3 and an armature 5 turnable about an axis 4. A leaf spring 6 engages the armature 5 whose free end abuts against the coil 2, and the entire arrangement is located within a housing 7. I

As already indicated my device has a plurality of mechanical actuating means for providing actuation of this ignition circuit whose construction and operation is generally well known to those skilled in the art and is therefore not believed to require detailed description. It may suffice to point out that pivoting of the armature 5 about the axis 4 in a sense establishing a gap 9 (see FIG. 1) between the free end of the armature 5 and the coil 2, will result in a mechanical and magnetic interruption of the magnetic circuit against the holding force of the magnet 3 and in a conventional production of a spark in the spark gap between the electrodes 100. Y

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing by way of example I have provided threev different actuating means. One of these is identified with reference numeral 8 and comprises a shaft 83 mounted in the housing 7 for movement in direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, either by having an operator exert a push on the end portion 81 which constitutes a pushbutton, or by exerting a pull on the knob 82 associated with the other end of the shaft 83. An actuating portion 84 is adjustably mounted on the shaft 83 within the confines of the housing 7; it is here illustrated as a nut or internallythreaded washer or the like which is threadedly mounted on an externally threaded portion of the shaft 83 so that it can be adjusted lengthwise of the latter. As illustrated in FIG. 1, one end of the leaf spring 6 engages the armature 5 whereas the other end abuts against the actuating portion or member 84. Movement of the actuating means 8 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1, either by pressure upon the pushbutton 81 or by pulling on the knob 82, will result in tensioning of the leaf spring 6 until the latter overcomes the holding force of the magnet 3 so that the armature 5 pivots about the axis 4 and the gap 9 comes into being. This results in the aforementioned production of a spark at the nonillustrated spark gap.

Additionally I provide two further actuating means. Reference is had to FIG. 1 where a rotary shaft 10 is illustrated (compare also FIG. 2) which has mounted thereon an eccentric 11 so that the latter will turn as the shaft 10 is turned. The eccentric 11 abuts against the leaf spring 6, as shown in FIG. 1. Turning of the rotary shaft 10 will result in tensioning of the leaf spring 6 in the same manner and with the same results as already described with respect to the employment of the actuating means 8.

According to my invention turning of the rotary shaft 10 may be accomplished in several ways. Firstly there is provided a knob 20 fixed to one end of the rotary shaft 10 which extends outwardly from the housing 7 (see FIG. 2). At the other end of the rotary shaft 10, which also projects outwardly of the housing but at a side thereof opposite the knob 20, I have provided a pulley 22 which is connected with the shaft 10 in such a manner as to rotate therewith but not relative thereto. How this is done is well known, and one exemplary possibility is the use of a key connection between the shaft 10 and the pulley 22. A rope 23 or analogous elongated flexible actuating member may be placed about the pulley 22 and permits remote actuationof the device simply by exerting a pull upon the rope 23. Thus it is for instance possible to actuate the device-assuming that it is associated with a gas furnace in the basement of a house-from one of the living floors of the house without having .to negotiate basement stairs. Evidently, other instances of remote actuation will offer themselves to those skilled in the art.

A further actuating means is provided by forming one axial end of the pulley 22, identified in FIG. 2 with reference numeral 221, with an annulus of radial teeth as illustrated. An actuating lever 21 is provided with a surface 211 having a, mating annulus of teeth which engage with the teeth on the axial end face 221 of the pulley 22; a screw or analogous connecting means 24 serves to hold the teeth on the faces 221 and 211 in engagement and of course the lever 21 can be turned to any desired position with respect to the pulley 22 prior to being fixed immovably in this position with the screw 24. Pressure on this lever 21 will then also effect rotation of the shaft and tensioning of the leaf spring 6 via the eccentric 11.

It is clear that with this type of construction the options for mechanical operation of the device are manifold so that only a single type of device need be kept in stock to satisfy many different requirements. Thus, this device can be used for the ignition of gasburners on kitchen ranges whether either the pushbutton 81 or the knob 82'will be readily accessible to the fingers of an operator. Again, the device may be used for use with a hot water installation which is to be activated and deactivated periodically at the will of the user and where, depending upon the positioning of the device shown in the drawing which may be dictated by space requirements, structural features of the equipment with which the device is being used, or similar considerations, the knob 20 may be used to turn the rotary shaft 10, the lever 21 may be employed or the shaft 10 may be turned by pulling on the rope or analogous means 23. In any case the versatility of this arrangement will be clearly obvious and because only a single device need be kept in stock, the device can be manufactured in large series and will be correspondingly less expensive than heretofore, just as the installation time will be reduced because the installer has a variety of different possibilities available to him without having to make modifications inthe device to adapt it to given requirements.

it will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an ignition device, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. In an electromagnetic ignition device, in combination, a housing; an ignition system mounted in said housing and including a magnet, an ignition coil, a yoke with one arm attached to one end of said magnet and with the opposite arm extending through said ignition coil, and having an armature normally completing with said magnet, and yoke an electromagnet circuit and being movable to an energizing position interrupting said circuit so that. the same produces an electric spark; and mechanical actuating means carried by said housing, including an arm fast with said armature and deflectable from a normal rest position to an operating position in which it displaces said armature to said energizing position, a linearly,

shiftable actuating member engaging said arm and operable for deflecting said arm to said operating position thereof, and a rotary eccentric actuating member engaging said arm remote from and independently of said linearly shiftable actuating member and being tumable in a sense deflecting said arm to said operating position, said rotary eccentric actuating member including a pulley mounted on and fast with said shaft and an elongated flexible member trained about said pulley for rotating the same and thereby said shaft in response to pull exerted on said elongated flexible member at a location remote from said pulley.

2. in a device as defined in claim 1, and further comprising adjusting means associated with said mechanical actuating means and operative for adjusting said actuating members in the direction of their respective movement so as to adjust the timin of energization of said circuit means.

3. l n a device as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary actuating member engages said arm at a first location which is closer to, and said linearly shiftable actuating member engages said arm at a second location which is farther from said armature, whereby the greater length of said arm between said armature and said second location at least substantially compensates for the mechanical advantage of said rotary eccentric actuating member over said linearly shiftable actuating member in deflecting said arm to said operating position.

4. in a device as defined in claim 1, said arm having a first portion closer to, and a second portion farther from said armature, and said rotary actuating member comprising a rotary shaft and an eccentric portion mounted on said shaft fast therewith and engaging said arm in the region of the juncture of said portions.

5. in a device as defined in claim 4, said linearly shiftable actuating member comprising a rod portion and an abutment portion fast with said rod portion and abutting said second portion of said arm for deflecting the latter in response to linear shifting of said rod portion.

6. In a device as defined in claim 5, said rod portion having two spaced ends both of which are accessible to the fingers of a user and one of which is configurated as a pushbutton whereas the other of said ends is configurated as knob for permitting linear shifting of said rod portion by pushing and by pulling of the same, at the option of a user. 

1. In an electromagnetic ignition device, in combination, a housing; an ignition system mounted in said housing and including a magnet, an ignition coil, a yoke with one arm attached to one end of said magnet and with the opposite arm extending through said ignition coil, and having an armature normally completing with said magnet, and yoke an electromagnet circuit and being movable to an Energizing position interrupting said circuit so that the same produces an electric spark; and mechanical actuating means carried by said housing, including an arm fast with said armature and deflectable from a normal rest position to an operating position in which it displaces said armature to said energizing position, a linearly shiftable actuating member engaging said arm and operable for deflecting said arm to said operating position thereof, and a rotary eccentric actuating member engaging said arm remote from and independently of said linearly shiftable actuating member and being turnable in a sense deflecting said arm to said operating position, said rotary eccentric actuating member including a pulley mounted on and fast with said shaft and an elongated flexible member trained about said pulley for rotating the same and thereby said shaft in response to pull exerted on said elongated flexible member at a location remote from said pulley.
 2. In a device as defined in claim 1, and further comprising adjusting means associated with said mechanical actuating means and operative for adjusting said actuating members in the direction of their respective movement so as to adjust the timing of energization of said circuit means.
 3. In a device as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotary actuating member engages said arm at a first location which is closer to, and said linearly shiftable actuating member engages said arm at a second location which is farther from said armature, whereby the greater length of said arm between said armature and said second location at least substantially compensates for the mechanical advantage of said rotary eccentric actuating member over said linearly shiftable actuating member in deflecting said arm to said operating position.
 4. In a device as defined in claim 1, said arm having a first portion closer to, and a second portion farther from said armature, and said rotary actuating member comprising a rotary shaft and an eccentric portion mounted on said shaft fast therewith and engaging said arm in the region of the juncture of said portions.
 5. In a device as defined in claim 4, said linearly shiftable actuating member comprising a rod portion and an abutment portion fast with said rod portion and abutting said second portion of said arm for deflecting the latter in response to linear shifting of said rod portion.
 6. In a device as defined in claim 5, said rod portion having two spaced ends both of which are accessible to the fingers of a user and one of which is configurated as a pushbutton whereas the other of said ends is configurated as knob for permitting linear shifting of said rod portion by pushing and by pulling of the same, at the option of a user. 